Querulous is an adjective that means complaining in a petulant or whining manner.

The Latin word queri (KWERE ee) means complain, and it serves as the origin of our word of the day. Querulous has been with the English language since the late 15th century. Here’s an example of it in use:

I’m not a fan of my kids acting in a querulous manner to get what they want. But I have to admit that after several minutes of whimpering and whining, the approach usually gets the results they want.